Big Paws Only Dog Forums

I want to talk to my boyfriend about him... he had a Tibetan Mastiff growing up.   We both love the breed.  The only thing is that I'm all for adopting older dogs, but he is a little hesitant because he worries people giving up older dogs are doing so because of a major behavioral problem.  Maybe this would change his mind...  New York is a bit far away for us, but not completely out of the question.

Oh my gosh that is so cute.  My boyfriend remarked that it would make a super cute wallpaper background on the computer 

Thanks for all of your support and great replies.  Like I said earlier, after giving him back and seeing him playing with his mom and the guy who raised him from a puppy, I have no doubt that it was the best thing to do. 

We are currently looking for our next big paws pound puppy... we were going to wait a while after everything that happened, but my boyfriend and I still feel that this would be the best time to start raising a puppy.  Of course, now we have such high expectations that our search is so much harder!  I'm sure someday soon we will find another big pound puppy looking for a forever home (and this time we'll double check that the surrender was actually a surrender and not someone finding a dog on the road right down the street from where the people lived!).

Cooper, who I posted pictures of in the mixed breed forum, is Roy.

It started on the way to the Banfield vet. We got off of the interstate and were stopped at the stoplight. I noticed that the girl and guy behind me were freaking out. I'm used to drunk college kids trying to get Cooper's attention while we are in the car, but this was different.  They were pointing at Cooper saying oh my god oh my god and gettting on the phone and then tailing us. They followed us in to the Petsmart parking lot and before the car she was in was even stopped she jumped out and said, "Roy! Roy! Oh my god it's actually him!" Needless to say, we expected something from their odd behavior, but not what was about to happen.

So here's the story. The girl had helped raise Cooper from the time he was born because her dog was the mother and her roommates dog was the father.  She was gone and his owner (her roommate) was hiking with the dog and their other dogs (Cooper aka Roy). He got lost and they couldn't find him. She came back from her trip early and everything and they searched everywhere all the pounds, and then her grandfather died. This all happened right before New Years. They never heard anything from the pounds they had called and had looked all around for him and kind of given hope on ever seeing him again... until today.

They called in his owner/her roommate who had raised Cooper/Roy from the time he was born.  Cooper/Roy is half Akita half Tennesse Walker Coonhound. Out of the ten puppies in the litter, Cooper/Roy is the one the guy chose to keep for his own because he had such unusual coloring and temperament (definitely the pick of the litter). The looks on their faces when they saw him, the joy, the almost crying because they thought he was dead or in a terrible home by some random hick guy who picked him up on the side of the road... oh gosh.

I'm almost 100% certain he is their dog. The only odd part of the puzzle is at the pound he was listed as an owner surrender, not a found/drop off (we got Cooper/Roy at the pound 2 weeks ago). He was also listed as 9 months when in fact he is 7 months.  Just to be sure, we kept custody of Cooper until they sent pictures and we could check up on the surrender thing with the pound.  Calling of names in the vet office didn't do anything because he reacts the same to strangers saying gooble gook as he does Roy or Cooper.   However, the second we saw all the pictures we sent, there was no denying it.  Everything from the white marks on his face to the tiny black marks on his paw pads were identical (and he is an unusual looking dog).

I'm super sad because I thought he was my dog forever and I guess legally is our dog. However, I can't take away someones dog who they raised from a puppy. I can't take away the happiness and joy and relief they felt knowing he was alive and well. I also can't get over their indignitation/how upset they were to here that someone took him to the pound as a surrender claiming that it had been their pet. I have all of their personal contact info and I really don't believe they are trying to steal the dog or play a joke or anything. They waited at the vet for two hours (we were headed to the Banfield vet) to see that he was ok and work things out. I don't want to drag out him being with his parents/sister to wait for a DNA test. It just seems like such a crazy coincidence. Too crazy to be false and I believe the pictures  show us all the evidence that it is their dog.

So he's going back to his real home today.  I'm sad, but of all the reasons to give up your puppy, I think this is the best one in the entire world.  I just thought I'd share because this is the craziest thing ever and I figured fellow dog people would understand how crazy this actually is.

Just crazy.

Thanks for all the great, welcoming replies.  I think Cooper has some lab in him as well, but whatever else he is is a giant mystery to me!   He's a cutie and one of the sweetest dogs I've ever met and he learns so fast in terms of training.  Now if only we can get over the hump of separation anxiety he will be perfection!